Tea Time in Ba Sing Se
by LuvStarWars
Summary: With the GAang's money running low, Katara accepts a job at The Jasmine Dragon. What she is unaware of is that her greatest enemy has now become her co-worker. And it is Iroh's plan to keep them both in the dark. But how long will that last? ZUTARA!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Right off the bat, I want to say that this is a Zutara story. So if you don't like Zutara, you've been forewarned. XD **

**This story takes place near the end of the second season, while the GAang are waiting to see the Earth King, and Iroh owns _The Jasmine Dragon_ and Zuko works there. I'm not sure how long this story will be, but I'll try to update regularly. Please please review!! CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is always welcome! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar. If I did, the finale would have turned out vastly different. XD  
**

**Tea Time in Ba Sing Se**

**Chapter 1**

**The Job**

The sun glowed golden against the tiled roofs of Ba Sing Se, creating a midday halo over the city. A gentle breeze flowed like a cool current between the packed houses, ruffling curtains and bringing refreshment to hard working citizens. There was a time when Katara especially would have enjoyed a day like this. She, however, was the _only_ one _not_ enjoying it. She was too busy worrying, as she had been for the past few days.

"Guys, I'm _telling_ you, we could be here a long time!" she said for the dozenth time to her comrades, who were sunbathing on the steps of their upper ring house. "We should find some sort of income, and soon, because the money we _do_ have is running out. And I'd rather not rely on this invisible Earth King for a loan…"

They'd come to Ba Sing Se in the first place to warn the Earth King of the Day of Black Sun, an important eclipse coming in the summer that would render the Fire Nation powerless. The children all hoped to gain the support of the Earth Kingdom's army, and army they would use to invade the Fire Nation on the day of the eclipse, thus ending the war that had thrown the world into chaos for a whole century. But they'd come up against trouble along the way: Aang's flying bison, Appa, was stolen by sandbenders in the desert, and now not only were they forced to wait for a summons from the Earth King while attempting not to tread on the toes of a dozen ridiculous rules, but they were also trying to find Appa, whom they were sure was hidden somewhere in the city.

The biggest problem came from the fact that they had been there three months with no word from the Earth King, and no sign of Appa. The hundreds of posters they'd had had professionally made had taken a huge chunk out of their savings, and every day they stayed here waiting took a little more. Finally, Katara realized the necessity of at least one of their group finding a job. And, she figured, it might as well be her.

Sokka rolled his eyes around to look at her. "But what if that creepy Ju Di lady catches us? She'll probably just say something like, 'Jobs are forbidden to people under twenty,' or maybe, 'You can't get a job without a permit, which will take three years to process,' or even-"

"I get it," Katara sighed exasperatedly. "But there's no harm in trying, right?" She waited for an answer, but none came. "Ugh! You people are so impossible!" she cried, stomping back into the house.

"It wouldn't kill them to show a little responsibility, would it?!" the waterbender ranted to herself as she grabbed her shoes sitting by the door and stuffed them onto her feet. "I mean, why do I always have to be the mature one? Well fine then! I'll just find a job on my own. I'm sure it'll be easy in a big city like this…"

Smoothing her hair, she marched out the front door and down the steps, almost stepping on Sokka's hand, Toph's face, and Aang's foot on her way, her head held high. Momo, who had been sleeping on Aang's stomach, awoke and jumped onto her shoulder.

"That's right, Momo," Katara said, stroking his head, "you're my only friend." Then she turned on her heel and left.

* * *

Thinking that finding a job in Ba Sing Se was a horrible mistake. First thing Katara knew, she'd gotten lost in the city's twisting streets, hungry, jobless, and almost out of money. It seemed no one in all of Ba Sing Se had a job for a poor fourteen-year-old Southern waterbender, no matter how polite and responsible she seemed. And worse, the sun was setting, and she had no idea where the house was.

"How can no one in this blasted city have a job opening?!" she wondered. "It must be all the immigrants already here, I guess… Darnit! There has to be someplace!"

She trudged through the streets as one by one, the lanterns were lit on either side of her, and shop windows turned a warm orange as they prepared for the coming night. _I should really get something to eat before I head back… I'm starving…_

Almost as if on cue, the lights were turned on in a shop she was passing, and as soon as she turned her head to look at it, she knew she'd found the solution to both her biggest problems. A cheap meal, and a job.

It was an open-air tea shop poetically titled _The Jasmine Dragon_, with a lovely green mosaic floor and warm lanterns hung all over. It was mostly full with people enjoying their drinks and just talking. To Katara, it looked like a very light-hearted, wealthy shop. Momo chattered happily on her shoulder.

"That's right, Momo," she agreed. "This could be the place!"

As she climbed the steps and entered, she was greeted and asked how many her party was.

"Um, no," she replied with a grateful smile. "I'm just looking for the manager."

"He's right back there," the man said pointing to the back of the shop, where Katara noticed an elderly man shuffling around in the steamy kitchen. Thanking the greeter, she hurried over, smoothing her dress and trying to fix her hair, which was a bit mussed after a whole day of walking. The man's back was facing her.

"Excuse me, sir!" she called.

* * *

It had been a good day. Well, mostly a good day. For Iroh. For others… not so much.

The shop had been full from the minute it opened until now, an hour before closing. Several people who had come in seemed very weary and upset with something, but a while in _The Jasmine Dragon_ and a long cup of tea had always cured them. It brought Iroh nothing but joy to make others happy, and being able to do that with this shop gave him the greatest sense of fulfillment. It did not, however, make a certain nephew of his happy at all.

Iroh was sure he could never be at his wits end with the boy, whom he loved like a son, but he was pretty close. He did his best to provide Zuko with the things he thought would bring him happiness, but it was never enough. Unfortunately, his idea of contentment and Zuko's were very, _very_ different. The Fire Prince was still certain that his birthright and the throne of the Fire Nation was the only thing that would make him happy. It was so sad…

At the moment, Zuko was taking a break from his "job." He'd taken to either locking himself in the back room or sitting up on the roof, watching the sky, for what, Iroh had a painfully good guess. He wished his nephew would just forget the Avatar at last and live a peaceful life, but it had yet to happen. Still, Iroh refused to believe that it would _never_ happen.

"Excuse me, sir!" a voice called behind him. With a jolt, Iroh recognized the voice instantly. Panicking for a second, he kept his back turned to the waterbender.

"A-ah, yes, how can I help you?" he asked.

"My name is Katara, and I'm looking for a job. I was wondering if you have any openings? I can brew tea, or serve, or clean tables – anything you need."

"N-," he began, then stopped. She sounded tired and desperate, and Iroh wasn't the sort of man to turn down a person in need. Though he knew this could mean big trouble, he felt his heart melting._ Bad… Bad… This is a bad idea…_ But even as he told himself this, he was coming up with an idea.

"Hmm… I do have an opening," he said slowly. "At the moment I only have one person waiting tables, and it's getting a little too busy for him. A bit of a slacker, I'm afraid… If you could help him out, I would be most grateful."

"Of course!" the waterbender agreed cheerfully. "Thank you so much! What time do you want me to come in?"

"You can come in for training tomorrow, anytime," Iroh answered, crossing his fingers over his heart where she couldn't see. "I'm Mushi… but you can call me Uncle."

"Pleasure to meet you!"

* * *

After she'd received the job, everything seemed to go uphill from there. Mushi was kind enough to give her a free meal in congratulations for receiving the job (though she found it strange that he never turned to face her), and a soothing cup of tea. Leaving the shop, she found a rickshaw whose driver was able to understand her confused directions, and just a little after 9, she strolled through the front door of their upper ring villa. But it was a surprise when she walked in and found only Toph there the greet her.

"Where's Sokka and Aang?" she demanded, her good mood seeping away.

"They went out a few hours ago to look for you," Toph answered lazily, lounging on the table in the middle of the room in boredom. "We all thought you'd gotten yourself completely lost. They left me here in case you decided to show up. It's been pretty boring…"

"I didn't even think about them going to search for me," Katara said quietly. I hope they come back soon. I have terrific news: I found a job!"

Toph didn't react. Katara waited. The earthbender picked her nose and remained silent.

"Well??" Katara demanded. "Aren't you happy?"

"Suuuure…" Toph sighed.

"Fine, whatever," Katara huffed. "Anyway, tell the guys when they come back that I'll be leaving early tomorrow for my first day of training, okay?" Toph gave her a thumbs up as the waterbender left the room.

* * *

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar, but I do own Zutara!! MWAHAHAHAHAHAAHAAAAAA!!!!!! Okay, no, I don't, but a girl can dream, can't she... XD  
**

**Tea Time in Ba Sing Se**

**Chapter 2**

**The Other Worker**

"You want me to do WHAT?!?!"

"I'd like you to clean out the back room for me tomorrow," Iroh repeated cheerfully. "It's so unorganized back there, I can hardly find anything."

"It'll take me all day!" Zuko protested.

"Yes, but you won't have to interact with the outside world for that whole time! I know you love that, don't you, my nephew?" Iroh teased good naturedly.

"Fine," Zuko huffed. He took a sideways look at Iroh. "But you look like you're hiding something, Uncle…"

Iroh waved his hand dismissively, still grinning. "Whatever would give you that idea, Nephew? Your uncle is too old to have secrets."

_That's the worst lie I've ever heard_, Zuko thought suspiciously. His uncle had been awake most of the night sewing something that looked an awful lot like a green dress, but it had been stuffed away just as Zuko entered the room to ask about it. Despite his frustrated suspicion, however, he dropped the subject. Once Iroh made up his mind not to tell him something, it was a lost cause to try and get him to talk.

* * *

Katara rushed up the steps of _The Jasmine Dragon_ two at a time, her chest heaving, her spirits soaring. She'd had chores before, which was a type of work, but she'd never had a real job before. It made her feel grown up, independent. She loved that feeling.

From the looks of the shop, it hadn't even opened yet. Well, she _had_ arrived at dawn. But thankfully, there was movement in the kitchen, so she entered.

"Excuse me? Mr. Mushi?" she called.

Something large and metal clattered to the floor. Suddenly, the old man popped into view. He was wearing a white cloth over his nose and mouth, and his gray hair was pulled back in a braid.

"Good morning, Miss Katara!" he said cheerfully.

"Am I too early?" the waterbender asked uncertainly.

"Oh, not at all!" Mushi reassured her. "It is good that you have so much enthusiasm. I think you'll do just fine here. Which reminds me!" he added, exiting the kitchen. A green bundle was tucked under his arm, and he handed it to her.

"Here is your uniform. I hope it's the right size…"

"Thank you, Sir."

Mr. Mushi pointed towards the back. "The bathrooms are back there. Would you please change in there, and then I'll walk you through what you need to do."

The bathrooms were spotlessly clean, and Katara stood for a long time admiring herself in the streak-free mirror. Her uniform was made up of a light green, long-sleeved robe over baggy brown pants, a dark green robe with gold trim over that. She wasn't sure how to wear her hair – her traditional Watertribe do didn't seem to fit – so she pulled half of it back into a bun and let the rest hang.

She found Mushi setting up chairs when she came back out. He looked up as she approached and smiled behind the cloth pulled over his mouth and nose.

"Very pretty!" he exclaimed, giving her shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

"Thanks," Katara smiled, then pointed uncertainly at the cloth covering half of Mushi's face. "Will I…?"

"No, no," Mushi laughed. "This is just for an old man's health. But come! Let me show you around…"

He showed her the kitchen, where the dishes and various tea leaves were stored, and vaguely pointed out the back room ("But you won't need to go back there, my other assistant makes sure there's never a shortage of anything, and frankly, it's a nasty mess in there."). Then he showed her how to best take notes on orders and the small closet where the cleaning supplies were kept. She was to hand in her uniform at the end of her shift.

"Though I doubt you'll ever need to stay late to clean up the shop," Mushi reassured her with a wry grin. "That's what me other assistant is for."

"Where is your other assistant?" Katara asked. So far, she had seen nothing of this second employee of Mushi's. Though he had said he was a bit of a slacker… "Does he have a separate shift now that there are two workers, or…"

"He'll be working in the back today," Mushi answered casually. "I'm hoping he'll relieve some of the clutter in there. I doubt you'll see anything of him just yet." He sounded strangely hopeful about this.

"So, any other questions? You think you're ready for your first day?" Mushi asked, his eyes smiling.

"I think I have it all," Katara said confidently. "But, um… How often will I be paid?"

"Once a week, every week," Mushi replied brightly.

"Then I'm set!"

* * *

Katara sagged against a table as the last customers left the store for the day, breathing a contented sigh of relief. She was right to get a job here. It was more fun than she'd honestly thought a job should be. Running back and forth among full tables, carrying trays dangerously full with cups of tea, scribbling orders as fast as her hand could move; all those things would normally be more stressful than enjoyable. But something about Mr. Mushi's joyful attitude was infectious. Katara not only saw it in herself, but in every person that stepped into the tea shop. They were weighed down with worries, but they always left with a fresh bounce in their step and their heads held high. It made her feel good to be a part of it.

Mr. Mushi congratulated her on a first day well done, then busied himself with straightening up the kitchen. Katara moved towards the bathrooms, but as she passed the door to the back room, she was startled by a loud noise from within. There was a muffled crash, and someone inside cursed strongly.

"…So many freaking boxes of junk! We don't even need most of this stuff…" the person was snarling in a husky voice. Katara pressed her ear up to the door to hear better. "It's hopeless, he knows that! But no, I'm stuck in here all day!" The voice sounded distantly familiar, but Katara couldn't place it before she found herself calling through the door,

"Are you okay?"

Whoever was behind the door fell silent. Katara tried to open the door.

"Hey, why's this door locked?" No answer. "Hello?? Who's in there?"

Still no answer. Katara opened her mouth to call again, but then the sound of approaching footsteps came from behind the door.

"Who-" the voice began, but it never finished the question.

Mr. Mushi appeared out of nowhere and placed a hand on Katara's shoulder, placing himself between her and the door. "Now now, Miss, it's about time you got home!" he said cheerfully, but there was a poorly concealed note of urgency in his voice. "I'm sure your family will be worried about you if you're out too late." He was leading her away from the door now, and whoever was behind it had fallen silent once again. They made it to the front of the shop before Katara actually realized what had happened. "Go ahead and take your uniform home, but take care it doesn't get wrinkled," Mushi continued, but his voice was considerably lower now. "Now off you go! Well done again. Good night, Miss Katara!" And he nudged her gently out onto the stairs and waved her away. Katara hadn't even opened her mouth to reply before he'd hurried back into the shop.

Utterly bewildered, Katara walked down the stairs in a sort of daze. Whoever this other employee was, Mr. Mushi obviously didn't want her to meet him. But why?! He'd seemed almost frantic to get her away, even going to far as to lock the mysterious other worker in the back room all day so they wouldn't see each other. And had Mr. Mushi not told this other employee that he had hired her? It sure seemed that way.

_But why?!_ Katara thought again. _Why all the secrecy??_ Not wanting to think badly of Mr. Mushi, she hastily tried to think of any plausible explanation that would act in his defense. _I guess he didn't sound all that nice in the first place. I mean, ranting to himself like that and complaining? He doesn't seem to like Mr. Mushi much either. Maybe they had an argument and Mr. Mushi didn't want me getting involved in it? Yeha, that sounds right._

Comforted somewhat by this theory, Katara hurried home, impatient to gush about the day's activities to her waiting brother and friends.

* * *

Zuko looked his uncle in the eye for a long time before speaking, and when he did, his voice was hard and accusing. "Uncle, who was that?!" he demanded.

"Just a young lady who wished to stay late for a friendly chat," Iroh answered, shrugging noncommittally. "I was doing a little cleaning in the kitchen, and it seems she wandered off."

Zuko didn't buy it for a minute. His uncle never multitasked, especially not when talking with someone. He always liked to give people his full attention. And besides, the girl's voice, though muffled through the door, sounded familiar. Very familiar.

Frowning at his uncle, Zuko glared, but Iroh didn't falter. Instead, his uncle cracked a maddeningly cheerful grin.

"So then my nephew! Made any progress?"

* * *

**Please Review!!!!! ^_^**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for all of your kind reviews!! You guys are the best! ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.**

**Tea Time in Ba Sing Se**

**Chapter 3**

**The Discovery**

Zuko woke up early the next morning determined not to do anything his uncle told him to. Instead, he would find out just exactly what was going on. His uncle had hired a new waitress without telling him, that much was clear. The dress he'd been sewing, the fact that this girl had stayed late at the shop; it hadn't been hard to guess. But who was she? And why did Iroh seem so keen on keeping the answer a secret?

Dressing quietly so as not to wake his uncle sleeping in the room next to his, Zuko sneaked into the kitchen of their apartment, ate a quick breakfast, and left. A short note lay on the table, waiting for Iroh where he would soon find it.

The early morning air was surprisingly warm, though the sun had barely risen, leaving nothing but a gold stripe on the top of the wall surrounding the lower ring. Zuko found the heat refreshing. It would be a nice day. It would certainly be interesting enough, trying to dodge his uncle's orders and find out who this waitress was at the same time.

_Shouldn't be too difficult_, Zuko reasoned with himself, already climbing the steps of the teashop,_ unless Uncle is really set on keeping this secret._

He was right to expect his uncle of this, because he'd barely stepped foot in the shop when he caught sight of his uncle writing what appeared to be a long list. Iroh spotted him as well, and smiled.

"You are here early, my nephew!" he said cheerfully by way of greeting. "That is good. I have a lot for you to do today."

"Why can't your new waiter girl do it?" Zuko challenged gruffly, somewhat annoyed by the fact that, even though he had risen and left for the shop early, he still hadn't arrived first.

Iroh looked deeply hurt, but Zuko knew he was faking. "Sadly, Miss… ah… Churi has just recently arrived in this city as a refugee, and doesn't know the neighborhood as well as you," he explained. Zuko refused to accept this excuse just yet, but took the list from Iroh's outstretched hand anyway. Glancing over the list, he saw that his uncle had prepared a great many errands for him, all of which would keep him at a safe distance from the shop for most of the day. Zuko was just thinking that if he finished them fast enough, he'd come back well before closing time, when Iroh added, "And when you're done with those, I need you to go back to the apartment and straighten things up. We're having guests over, you know…"

But whoever these guests were, Zuko didn't hear. He was too busy thinking. There were no guests coming over, he would bet anything on that. He could rush through these errands and go straight back to the teashop, take a glance inside, then go back to the apartment and maybe do a little dusting, and his uncle would be none the wiser. He was already thinking of who the waitress could be as his uncle pushed him gently out the door.

_It could be… no, he wouldn't do that to me, would he?_ he thought, as an idea suddenly occurred to him. It made sense, but he really didn't want to think about it too much. His face had already gone irritatingly red.

Iroh could have hired Jin, a young girl he'd recently gone on a date with. If it had been her, then Iroh's reason for secrecy could be that he wanted their next meeting to be special. But he wouldn't do that to his nephew… would he?

Not that their date hadn't been pleasant. More like bittersweet. It had been nice to, for once, allow himself to be close to someone. But Zuko had known from the beginning, and still knew, that it couldn't last. If Jin had known who and what he was, she would have been terrified – or worse, repulsed. It was a one time thing, and Zuko knew it. It didn't matter that much anyway. Jin was pretty, and she was nice, but Zuko did not care for her the way his uncle would like to believe.

Which was why Zuko was so worried that his theory was probably correct.

Shuddering at the thought of an awkward reunion with Jin, Zuko tried to shake away the thought and focus on the mission at hand. The list of errands in his hands was about as long as his forearm, and he had to get it done in time to return to the teashop before closing. If he could get just a glimpse, he would be satisfied. No, not quite. He would then confront his uncle about it that night, demanding to know what the point of secrecy was, or – if it was Jin – to insist that his uncle's matchmaking mission had failed before it had even begun.

* * *

Katara's second day at work at _The Jasmine Dragon_ would have been as enjoyable as the first, if it weren't for the furious whirl of thoughts in her mind that seemed to consume all of her energy and attention at the same time. She walked among tables carrying trays and orders in a daze, performing her duties automatically, doing, but not really seeing or hearing.

Aang had announced the night before that, instead of waiting for a formal meeting with the Earth King, they would be taking matters into their own hands. A ball was coming up to celebrate King Kuei's pet bear's birthday. Surely it wouldn't be too hard to sneak into a party to see the King for the few minutes it would take to explain their mission? Sokka agreed, but Toph and Katara did not.

As Toph had explained it, it would be "next to impossible for country hicks like you three to blend into a high society ball." Though Katara was not to fond of being called a "country hick," she had to agree with the young earthbender. The world of royalty was simple in the Watertribes. But in the Earth Kingdom? An entirely different matter. What did they know of the minds and manners of Earth Kingdom nobility?

The ball was only three days away. In three days, Katara was expected to learn how to convincingly act the part of Earth Kingdom nobility. They'd all agreed that Katara and Toph stood the best chance of getting into the party through the front entrance, while Aang and Sokka would sneak in the back and act as waiters. The plan was to meet up in the main ballroom, then proceed to find the Earth King and hope that his private police, the Dai Li, would not catch them before they could gain his support in the fight against the Fire Nation.

It was a daunting task, even for Katara, who considered herself somewhat reserved and polite. The manners of "fashionable Earth Kingdom ladies" were many and delicate things. It was their way to walk with their backs as straight as cutting boards, hands neatly folded and tucked into their billowing silk sleeves in front of them, heads held high, staring down their noses. It was their way to talk barely above whispers, as if everyone around them was attempting to listen in, even though all they were saying was pointless gossip. While eating, they were pretty much expected to sit quietly and look pretty, while eating only a little, or not much at all. Katara didn't look forward to any of this, but she knew she could, and would have to, pull it off.

Thus, throughout the day, she concentrated not on what she was doing, but on how she was doing it. She walked as stiffly and haughtily as she could manage, spoke as quietly as she could without whispering – while many of her customers kept demanding, "What?" or "Say again?" – and focused intently on finding her inner "powder-puff princess."

Mr. Mushi seemed to notice this strange new behavior during her lunch break, when Katara ate her food in such delicate, polite bites that he was sure she thought his cooking repulsive.

"Oh no, sir!!" Katara immediately exclaimed, snatching up her chopsticks and stuffing a large clump of rice into her mouth. "It's delicious!" she added, between bites.

Mr. Mushi arched an eyebrow at her, bewildered. "Oh… all right then…" he said uncertainly, and the waterbender decided that she would stick to practicing at home.

* * *

Zuko glanced at the sun for the third time in a minute. It sat at the highest point in the heavens, beating down on him like a great, sweltering spotlight. His arms laden with bags of groceries and various other items for the teashop, the firebender didn't mind the heat as he hurried up the street. On either side of him, venders kept to the shade and gave up shouting their wares to passersby in an effort to preserve energy. Others tried to keep cool by fanning themselves. The Fire Prince had still not quite adjusted to the poverty of his new home; it disgusted him to see one man using his large grubby sandal to fan himself.

_These people would melt if they ever visited the Fire Nation_, he thought, remembering the intense summer heat of his home, and how the heat he was now almost jogging through was nothing compared to that.

It was frustrating to think about the nation of his birth, however, still doomed as he was never to return to it, so Zuko shook these thoughts away. He was almost back to _The Jasmine Dragon_, about to discover what all the secrecy was about. His earlier worries about Jin being his new co-worker came back to him, and he slowed to a walk, uncertain.

_I'll have to see eventually_, he finally decided, and picked up the pace.

_The Jasmine Dragon_ came into view at last, and Zuko slowed again, this time to avoid being spotted by his uncle.

_He'll probably be in the kitchen, but I don't want him spotting me too soon anyway…_

Sneaking up the steps to the side of the doorway where it would be difficult to be seen from the kitchen, Zuko set the bags down beside the door. Then, very slowly, he peered inside, ignoring the curious looks passersby were giving him.

The shop was full as usual of people chattering and laughing and eating and drinking. That was something that Zuko had never understood about his uncle: how, by just being in the same room with someone, he could lift their spirits considerable. It never seemed to work on him, his nephew, though… Concentrating on the mission at hand, Zuko looked through the shop again, searching for a familiar, dark haired, fair-skinned girl wearing the green dress he'd seen his uncle sewing.

The Fire Prince's grip tightened on the door frame; he could smell smoke from his smoldering hands against the wood. His mind went entirely blank with shock, unable to process what he'd just seen. It couldn't be… It was impossible… _Impossible_…

The clear blue eyes, the dark-tanned skin, the waist-length brown hair, and… yes, the abalone shell pendant around her neck, with three rolling waves carved into it. As impossible, as horrible as it seemed, it was true. It was the waterbender.

The Avatar's friend.

Suddenly, everything became clear. If the Watertribe peasant was in Ba Sing Se, the Avatar had to be there too. What he were doing in the capital, he didn't know, and he didn't care at the moment. But he was there, and Zuko was there. And now this waterbender was_ here_, in his uncle's teashop-

And then it hit him.

Why in Agni's name was this Watertribe peasant, well known friend and teacher of the Avatar, Zuko's most hated enemy, _working in his uncle's teashop_?!?!

As suddenly as the situation had become clear, it was blurred as Zuko was blinded with anger and confusion. Utterly lost for an explanation, he did the first thing that came to his mind: he stood up, turned on his heal, and marched straight back to their apartment, the day's shopping completely forgotten on the steps beside the door. He would wait until Iroh got home, and then he would demand an answer from him. No mercy. This was aiding the enemy, _his_ enemy! Iroh would answer to this, no wiggling out of it.

_And then_, Zuko thought, his head throbbing with rage and determination, _I'll come back for the Watertribe peasant._


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Okay, somehow it escaped my notice that I actually finished this chapter... a few months ago. -_-" *beats her head against the keyboard* And I'm sorry it's so short, I really am, but I was trying to keep the flow of the story, so I had to cut it off here. Sorry again... I'm already working on the next chapter, but it's coming along slowly, plus I've still got school and all that crap, so it may take a while for the next chapter. But please be patient with me?? *puppy face***

**Disclaimer: Still don't own it. If I did, it would take months for a new episode to come out. Oh wait, it did anyway.... Whoopsies! XD**

**Tea Time in Ba Sing Se**

**Chapter 4**

**The Struggle**

Zuko glared at the door, unblinking, his arms folded over his chest, standing rigid in the middle of the front room. The seconds ticked away in his mind, and the minutes, and the hours. Still he did not move. Normally he became restless when he was angry, but this fury had frozen him solid. This was treason. No, they'd already committed that against the Fire Nation. No, this was betrayal. From a family member. From his uncle Iroh.

If he'd been angry when he learned Azula's invitation to come home was actually a one way ticket to prison, he was blind with fury now. In Azula's case, he'd been hoping for the best. In his uncle's case, well… He _trusted _Iroh, more so than anyone on earth. In fact, Iroh was really the only person he could trust anymore. Or so he thought.

What made him angriest of all was the fact that, despite all this anger, he was also deeply hurt. Iroh was all he had really, and though the old man could be endlessly exasperating, he was also the wisest person Zuko could imagine. And he was there, whenever the prince needed him. That made it all worse. Much worse.

Suddenly, the door opened. Zuko, so deep in thought, jumped a whole foot, then quickly recovered himself before his uncle came into the room. Iroh was frowning thoughtfully, holding several bags that Zuko recognized as the shopping he'd spent half the day rushing to buy.

"Zuko," Iroh said slowly, with the tone he used when something was gravely wrong, "you left the bags outside. It's lucky Churi spotted them before-"

"How can a person who doesn't exist spot anything?!" Zuko exploded. "Or maybe you just didn't want me to know that the AVATAR'S WATERBENDING TEACHER IS YOUR KNEW WAITRESS!!!"

For a long, terrible second, Iroh stared in silent shock at his nephew. Zuko's chest was heaving. He wanted to keep going, but the fury he'd been feeling only seconds ago had been almost completely replaced by guilt that squeezed his throat shut. All he could do was wait for his uncle's explanation. It wasn't too long in coming.

"Zuko, I know what you're thinking: that because Miss Katara is in Ba Sing Se, the Avatar is as well. But I've talked with Miss Katara, and she seems to be in great distress… _without the Avatar_."

"That's a lie!" Zuko shouted. "The waterbender would never abandon the Avatar, and even if she did, why didn't she just go back to the South Pole??"

"Actually, my nephew," Iroh said slowly, "the Avatar is the one who left, and Miss Katara and her brother have been stuck in Ba Sing Se with no money to get them home-"

"An even bigger lie!" the prince spat. "The Avatar may have left them once before, but they were in the company of a family friend. He wouldn't leave them alone and broke in Ba Sing Se!"

"Zuko, please-"

"HOW DARE YOU LIE TO ME!!" Zuko bellowed. He began to pace furiously up and down the room. "Especially now!! You realize what this means?! The Avatar is within my reach at last! I can _finally_ capture him! I can go back home! I can claim my rightful throne, and my father will accept me! HOW COULD YOU SABOTAGE THAT?!?!"

Iroh sighed deeply. He let his nephew pace some more before finally collapsing onto a cushion at the low table. Then he too sat down, across the table. Zuko ran his hands over his face, pulling at his shaggy hair, breathing deep, quaking breaths. The very silence was stifled with anger and confusion. Finally, Iroh took a deep breath.

"You know, my nephew, that I only have your best interests in mind," he began.

"I'm _interested_ in capturing the Avatar and gaining back my honor," Zuko growled, but he fell silent again to allow his uncle to continue.

"If I had let you work in the shop that first day with Miss Katara and she saw you, she would have immediately gone back to the Avatar and warned him of our presence in the city, and they would be gone before you'd even known they were here. But now you have a chance of gaining information into their exact location in Ba Sing Se. It will take patience, but if you are patient so, and we work things out correctly, you will have a chance of getting the Avatar alone, capturing him, and leaving for the Fire Nation in secret before his friends can catch you."

"And you had this all planned out from the beginning," Zuko said, his voice highly doubtful.

"Well of course I knew having the Avatar's waterbending teacher in close range would come in handy," Iroh said gravely, "and the rest I made up just now. I just don't want you to do anything rash like you did at the North Pole."

"I also think you didn't want me catching the Avatar at all," the prince countered, finally looking up at his uncle. "You didn't want to give up your precious teashop and your cozy apartment."

"It's true that I no longer agree with your goals, Zuko, but that is for your sake and not mine," Iroh insisted. "I don't believe this is what you truly want."

"Neither is a life in the cupboard of _The Jasmine Dragon_!! I don't want your life, Uncle!" Zuko shouted, his anger rising again. "I don't want to be like you!!"

The words weren't even completely out of his mouth before he regretted them. Iroh tried to hide the pain, but Zuko saw it anyway.

"Uncle… I…"

"It's been a long day, my nephew," Iroh said, standing and stretching animatedly. "An old man needs his rest…" He walked around the table towards his bedroom. "You should get some rest as well, Zuko." He opened the door, entered, and closed it without another word.


End file.
